Making our own choices

(Based more on an Indian context)

During childhood:

• Recite tables until 20 without having a clue to what they mean anyway
• Be compared with the neighbourhood kids and 'why you are useless' anyway. Do not find what you are good at - but work based on 'What you suck at' anyway
• Work hard at school, in ALL subjects with no clue what you prefer or why anyway
• Be convinced that the subjects you love are the subjects that you get good marks in. Then get thrashed if that's not Maths and Science anyway

 During teens: 

• Join a lot of classes(Karate, cricket, tennis, dancing, singing) - suddenly abandon everything and slog for 10th academics anyway
• Give a lot of 'aptitude' tests, attend career seminars - but then go for Science stream anyway. (Followed by Commerce, Arts..in that order.)
• Talk a lot about doing something you love, but take up engineering or medicine anyway. 
• Give medical AND engineering entrance exams..BOTH.. anyway!!!!! Choose not what you love, but which you score better at!

In college: 

• Try to be 'cool'....by doing what everybody else is doing anyway 
• Blame the professors for bad English, lack of knowledge, funny accents - but bunk classes and copy assignments anyway. 
• Think about doing great things, but study a month before exams anyway(Well, many great people were college dropouts) 
• Wonder about deep questions like 'What do I do in my life?' then follow the crowd into GMAT, GRE anyway 

After college:

• Have no clue why, what did we do in engineering - now do MBA anyway. Liked cricket, took science, did engineering - now do a finance job anyway. Then wonder 'Why am I not satisfied at my job?' and read books about 'Finding your passion' anyway
• Crib about how all the IT companies in India are just 'body shops' with 'no scope for innovation'. Join the same companies anyway

At work:

• Wonder 'Why am I not satisfied at my job? How do I follow my passion?'. Then follow the crowd into GRE/GMAT anyway 
• Crib about the government, politicians, USA, Pakistan, system - then break a traffic light and bribe the cop anyway
• Talk a lot about how Indians need to change before India does - but do not vote anyway
• Read a lot of inspiring stories about people who made it big, young billionares, people who changed India - then chase a US visa anyway
• End up in the US with a student visa to do a post-grad, really learn stuff for a change - then get into IT anyway.
• End up in the US with a work-visa, dream about doing big things - then put up a down payment on a house and an ad on a matrimonial site anyway
• Crib about IT for a few years, talk about following passion - then blame family responsibilities anyway.
• Feel the fire within, buy a DSLR, create a Facebook page - then use it in 'auto mode' anyway  

Take an oath about allowing our kid to do something different, then make him an engineer or a doctor anyway. 

Because age has given us wisdom to ignore our childish dreams and be more 'practical'.

Talk a lot about making our own choices, then follow others anyway